What They Say:
While going through her closet, Kaede finds a raincoat that gets her reminiscing about a dear friend from middle school.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Getting Aoi and hinata out with their respective parents for a bit of a climb the last time around was definitely welcome. Seeing them doing a small climb with just as much beauty as most of the others as appealing because it reminded you can do these easily and with little real preparation and still have a fantastic experience. It was also refreshing to have some good time with the parents like this and to have a little commentary by them on how their kids are growing and changing into responsible and interesting adults. Small steps, but good and solid steps from them.
With this episode, things shift to focusing on Kaede instead of the two main characters, which is a nice diversion. She’s been secondary to be sure, going off on her own, and this takes us back to her middle school days when she cleans out her closet and finds something from her friend Yuuka from that period. Kaede’s climbing experience goes back a ways and it’s something that has other uncertain about her in a lot of ways, which keeps her distant from them. Yuuka’s simply worried about her since she can’t understand why everyone thinks it’s so dangerous and that she shouldn’t be doing it. So when Kaede does have a small accident and sprains her ankle, Yuuka lashes out at her in class about it because she’s worried for her friend and can’t understand why Kaeda would put herself in these kinds of situations.
The show thankfully balances this out with time the two spend together doing shopping together for gear – and a little general fashion – so that Yuuka can understand what goes into it and how prepared climbers usually are. It’s good to see the two being simply friends and engaging in general shopping, time together and dialogue (none of which is about men either) and seeing the impact it has on Kaede in really making her smile and happy. And for Yuuka as well as the two definitely have their moments together. Seeing Kaede in the past with Yuuka, a nod to her in the present, and a reminder that she has several very good friends now is a nice moment for her that helps cement her in the now.
In Summary:
Encouragement of Climb has focused on the characters either as a group of four for the most part or more strongly on Aoi with Hinata coming in a close second. Finally giving Kaede some time of her own here, exploring a touch more of her past, helps to make her feel a little more real. She’s certainly the odd duck out with friends in general due to her interest in climbing, but seeing some of the middle school days and what she experienced helps to show why she is the way she is and how she does appreciate having friends now that don’t judge her like so many others did. A nice episode overall and a good character one for Kaede.
Grade: B
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Sony KDL70R550A 70″ LED 1080P HDTV, Apple TV via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
